Saint Paisios the Athonite, a great and much loved modern Saint of the Orthodox Church, who is especially revered by the Christ-loving people of the fifth continent, was declared Patron Saint of the Holy Archdiocese of Australia by its Primate, His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia.

The Archbishop made the declaration, full of emotion, during his introductory speech in the context of the 12th Clergy-Laity Congress of the Holy Archdiocese.

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Speaking of “our own Saint” and recalling the blessed visit of Saint Paisios to Australia in the year 1977, His Eminence Archbishop Makarios pointed out that His Dismissal Hymn (Apolytikion) will henceforth be chanted at every Divine Liturgy, in all the Holy Churches of the local Church, starting from next Wednesday, September 27, 2023, the day of completion of the works of the Clergy-Laity Congress, when a Poly-Hierarchical Divine Liturgy will be held at the Church of the Resurrection of Our Lord in the Sydney suburb of Kogarah.

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In more detail, Archbishop Makarios in his relevant statement underlined: “Because today is a historic day, I want it to be remembered by all and to be engraved in golden letters in the history books of our Holy Archdiocese. Therefore, I ask you to bring to your mind one of our Saints, Saint Paisios the Athonite, who visited Australia together with the former Abbot of the Monastery of Iviron, Father Vasilios. In fact, a miracle of healing a cancer patient performed by Saint Paisios while he was here in Australia is also recorded.

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"So today, I proclaim Saint Paisios the Athonite, Patron Saint, guardian and protector of Australia and our Archdiocese. On Wednesday we will sing his Apolytikion for the first time, which will be chanted from here on in at every Divine Liturgy, after the Apolytikion of the Church. The Apolytikion of the Saint will be chanted unto the ages of ages here in the fifth continent”.